I think one of the most valuable things to know is how things go together in the bike. You may not need to know how to fix the problem, but it is down right empowering to be able to say without a doubt what an issue is.
For example on my R80g/s. If I have a slipping clutch, and I look down and see oil on the engine shelf I know that I have 1 or two seals leaking, and most likely the trans input seal. It is ridable most likely, but need to keep an eye on the oil levels.
If you are having anything fixed, watch them, learn how they do it, see how things interact in the engine. Read forums and study what other issues people have had and the symptoms. Half the solution is knowing and knowledge is power.
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